This piece is part of my 2016–2026 archive migration. Some original formatting, content, and external links may be missing, changed, or not be optimized.
Society has conditioned us to finance our entire lives
Most of us can easily afford a minimum or monthly payment. We take out a mortgage instead of paying for our homes in cash. Instead of paying for our vehicle in cash, we take out a car loan. We buy an iPhone installment plan instead of paying for the phone outright. We put a trip on a credit card and pay it over time.
Financing has saved the day. Now many Americans can afford to experience luxury and a middle or upper-middle-class lifestyle because of loans, credit, and financing.
Americans don’t like paying for stuff in cash anymore. We prefer financing and paying off the stuff we buy over time. Do you know why?
Because it hurts less. It hurts our bank accounts less. It hurts our mental well-being less. It hurts our financial flexibility less.
Consistently using credit cards, loans, and financing to pay for things you can’t afford is the equivalent of eating candy but never brushing your teeth. If you continue this habit long enough, you’ll wake up one day with a toothache and a buttload of cavities.
If you continue financing your life, at some point, you’ll burst at the seams with debt wondering how the f*ck you’re going to get yourself out of the mess you made.
Some people ignore their deplorable financial situation and continue on the path of financial destruction as if their decisions will never catch up with them.
A Fact Most People Don’t Want To Face
The truth is that most people can’t afford their lifestyle, but the concept of loans (i.e., financing and credit) have persuaded them to believe otherwise.
Most people remain in debt all their lives because it’s easy. The financial lending industry is a mega-trillion-dollar industry.
Companies are like leeches, and they know how to get you to serve as a financial host to them for the remainder of your days: debt.
From the time you’re born, you are taught to finance the things you buy. It’s the American way of life. It’s so normalized that many people don’t even care about the debt they have, nor do they concern themselves with paying it off. As long as the minimum payments are getting paid, that’s what matters.
The Standardization of Debt In Our Society
Is utilizing debt wrong? No. But it is essential always to be aware of how standardized debt has become in our society. Having debt is the new normal, which means many of us have subjected ourselves to financial servitude for the duration of our lives.
We’ve become numb to the fact that we pay extra for everything we finance, and we give that extra to the few outliers who will never need to borrow from anyone; they’re always happy to loan money to us to finance our pretty little lives.
If You Could Only Use YOUR Cash, How Would Your Life Change?
Have you ever considered what your life experience would be if you could only use the cash available to you – outside of any time of loans, financing, or credit?
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.